McDonald lawyers ask to appeal judge’s order

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (AP) — Lawyers for Jeffrey MacDonald, convicted more than four decades ago in the stabbing deaths of his wife and two daughters, want to appeal a federal judge’s order and get their client a new trial.

The Fayetteville Observer reports that attorneys for the former Army captain have filed a motion arguing they should be allowed to appeal a ruling made last month.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge James Fox ruled attorneys failed to establish during a 2012 hearing that McDonald should not have been found guilty of the February, 1970 slayings.

The judge also denied what is called a certificate of appealability which allows attorneys to appeal.

Attorneys for the 70-year-old MacDonald are seeking a new trial citing a new federal report that discredits a government witness.

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